CLEAR blue skies provided the perfect backdrop when a group of Chinese experts visited the Bablake Weather Station in Coventry.

The 20-strong delegation from the Chinese MET Office were keen to find out how pupils at Bablake school help predict the weather.

The group was given a tour of the station, based at Bablake School’s playing fields, off Coundon Road, and a slide show of its 30-year history.

The group, who are experts in numerology forecasts, have visited weather hubs in Exeter, Oxford and Manchester.

Bablake’s head of geography, Steve Jackson, has been running the weather station since 1977 and often provides forecasts for the MET Office.

He was contacted by a cultural attache from China to share their knowledge on weather predictions.

During a speech to delegates, Steve, said: “The weather station at school was to help us teach geography so we had lots of pupils who were persuaded to help me.

“We have had about 300 pupils helping at the station.

“In 1983 all weather data was done manually and in 1988 we were the first school in the country to have a satellite tracking station.

“We had a sunshine recorder on the school roof and pupils had to go up there everyday to check it. But now they just sit in a chair in the office.

“In 1990 they still has to come into the school on weekends and holidays, even over Christmas and New Year’s Day and now my students stay at home because all the data comes to the school via a telephone line.”

Steve also mentioned receiving an award from the Royal Meteorological Society last year for his weather work.

Jian Sun, a research worker of numerology forecasts, said: “It’s very important to the education that we learn about how weather predictions are recorded in other places.

“We don’t have weather stations at schools but we have them at the Central Weather Bureau. It’s very interesting.

“I think maybe it will help the students of China because we don’t do that.

“It will help them gain more interest in researching weather and for them to discover new things for themselves.

“We are very happy to have come.”

Bablake student Kate French, aged 14, who studies geography, takes readings at the station twice a week before school starts.

She said: “We were really surprised that the delegates have come all the way from China to learn about the way we record the weather.

"I think it shows how successful the station has been after being picked up by such a great country.